Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Man Tries to Order Priciest Starbucks Drink Ever Total cost: $23.60 »

Scientists ID Catastrophic Climate Change 'Tipping Zones'

9 danger signs that disaster is inevitable

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 5, 2008 4:34 AM CST

(Newser) – Scientists have identified nine danger zones where global warming could be pushed past the point of no return within years, the Independent reports. The scenarios include the melting of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic, the collapse of the Indian and West African monsoons, and the death of forests in Canada, Siberia and the Amazon. Once climate "tipping points" are reached in any of the zones, the change would likely be irreversible—and could all occur within this century, the experts warned.

Passing any of the tipping points could suddenly trigger the complete collapse of existing climate systems, warn the dozens of climate scientists behind the report in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They urge immediate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of an early-warning system. "Our synthesis of present knowledge suggests that a variety of tipping elements could reach their critical point within this century," the report concludes.

A view of Torres del Paine National Park,  declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978, and the Grey Glacier falling into the Grey lake,  is seen in Chilean Patagonia, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007. U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Antarctica and the Chilean Patagonia to see the effects...
A view of Torres del Paine National Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978, and the Grey Glacier falling into the Grey lake, is seen in Chilean Patagonia, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007....   (Associated Press)
Researcher Julio Tota climbs a steel tower that is used to monitor the weather in the dense Amazon rainforest near the northern city of Manaus, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007. New studies suggest the Amazon may be approaching a tipping point, at which the drier conditions caused by deforestation will...
Researcher Julio Tota climbs a steel tower that is used to monitor the weather in the dense Amazon rainforest near the northern city of Manaus, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007. New studies suggest the...   (Associated Press)
A car is seen on a road that crosses the dense Amazon rainforest near the northern city of Manaus, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. New studies suggest the Amazon may be approaching a tipping point, at which the drier conditions caused by deforestation will reduce rainfall enough to transform the...
A car is seen on a road that crosses the dense Amazon rainforest near the northern city of Manaus, Brazil, Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. New studies suggest the Amazon may be approaching a tipping point, at...   (Associated Press)
This photo provided by Pacific Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography shows a dead walrus, foreground, after a stampede on Cape Vankarem, Russia in March, 2007. Thousands of Pacific walruses above the Arctic Circle died in stampedes earlier this year after the disappearance of sea ice caused them to crowd onto...
This photo provided by Pacific Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography shows a dead walrus, foreground, after a stampede on Cape Vankarem, Russia in March, 2007. Thousands of Pacific walruses above the...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Melting Ice Opens Arctic to Trade, But US Lags

Climate Change Reverses 8 Millennia of Arctic Cooling

Thawing Arctic Could Set Off Methane Climate Bomb

Arctic Ice Vanishing 'Like Mad'

Arctic Melt Nears 'Tipping Point'


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne